Beer Albion edged a scrappy game against Ottery St Mary on Wednesday night as two teams of equal quality battled out a closely fought contestant in East Devon. The hosts sailed into a comfortable lead on Beer Regatta week before Ottery halved the deficit before half time. A second half that could’ve gone either way ended with the hosts adding an injury time third in an uneventful forty five minutes.

Beer started the stronger side and came close after just a couple of minutes when Joshua Daines managed to get a shot away from the edge of the box but Ottery keeper Owen Vosper was equal to the effort as he got down low to stop the ball sneaking into the net.

The home fanbase didn’t have to wait long until they had a lead as Beer were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box which was converted by Aaron Daniels. Hitting the ball low and hard it crept under the wall and into the back of the net.

Ottery battled back and came close when Mario Pislaru found plenty of space on the edge of the box and sent a curling effort just over the bar. Although a goal down the Otters continued to battle hard to try and find a way back into the game.

The visitors hit another setback with the game half an hour old as Ferenc Bodor was penalised for a handball and the hosts had a penalty. Jayden Rooke made no mistake in finishing to the keepers right as the Fishermen doubled their lead with both goals coming from set pieces.

A quick reaction was needed by the visitors and they got just that as four minutes later they had managed to pull one back. Sam Pyne saw his original shot blocked by the home custodian but managed to bundle in the rebound from close range despite best of efforts from the Beer defence.

With the game approaching half time the Otters almost equalised as a fantastic cross into the box by Ferenc Bodor perfectly found Seb Copp who could only head over the bar.

The second half didn’t throw up many quality chances until late on and the hosts would’ve been frustrated not to add a third when a long throw in by Samuel White found Charlie Ledger in the box who fired over the bar from within the six yard box.

With the game entering injury time Sam Waddon added a third as he bundled in from close range after the Ottery defence failed to clear.

Sam Pyne fired over the bar from the edge of the box as the visitors desperately looked for a late way back into the game but it was too little too late as the hosts hung on to take all three points.

Beer Albion team: Max Haywood, Samuel White, Charlie Ledger, Thomas Gardner, Harry Lawrence, Jayden Rooke, James Hill, Aaron Daniels, Billy Knox, Joshua Daines, Joshua Lund

Subs: George Harwood, Sam Waddon, Matthew Berry, Benjamin Hemmens, Archie Knox

Ottery St Mary team: Owen Vosper, Charles Norris, Ferenc Bodor, Kai Champion, Jordan Ford, Jake Williams, Mario Pislaru, Sam Pyne, Lewis Wilson, Connor Swingler, Seb Copp

Subs: Henry Faure, Luke Mathias, Harrison Bowyer, Noah Lovedale, Jamie Pitter